Road gives access to new estate

By
STEVE HYNES

A KEY link route in east Warrnambool was re-opened yesterday following the $8.3 million reconstruction of Horne Road.

A KEY link route in east Warrnambool was re-opened yesterday following the $8.3 million reconstruction of Horne Road.

The road, which links Wangoom Road with the Princes Highway east, was opened by Premier and member for South West Coast Denis Napthine after almost a year of works.

It will provide access to a new 65-hectare industrial estate, which has future potential for a further 40 hectares.

“This road is an important step in developing the new Warrnambool eastern industrial precinct as it will provide essential access to the estate which will address the critical shortage of industrial land in the city,” Dr Napthine said.

“This will give Warrnambool what it needs to be able to provide affordable industrial land to drive the city’s expansion.”

The road, which is expected to carry 16,000 vehicles a day, will also provide a convenient route between the Hopkins Highway and Princes Highway, particularly for trucks trying to avoid numerous stops at traffic lights.

“This road will help reduce the number of heavy vehicles travelling through Warrnambool’s CBD. Horne Road provides a new link to north Warrnambool, cutting travel time and removing the need for this heavy traffic passing through the city,” Dr Napthine said.

The state government put $3.6 million towards the project, Warrnambool City Council contributed $2.1 million and the developer, NDB Properties, paid $2.6 million.

The road was previously gravel for most of its length.

The reconstruction also involved building a new Russells Creek crossing with a culvert capable of coping with a once-in-100-year flood. It incorporates protected turning lanes for access to the proposed industrial estate.

The first release of the industrial land is anticipated later this year.

Horne Road is the third recent major road upgrade in city, following the nearby Aberline Road and Coghlans Road in Dennington.